Man jumped from moving vehicle to escape kidnapping, robbery
CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46) - The search is on for two people accused of jumping into a van, pointing a gun at the driver and demanding money.
The driver jumped out of the moving vehicle leaving the two robbers inside. A self-proclaimed tough guy, he said when you're staring at the barrel of a gun you have to think fast.
Mark, who requested FOX 46 Charlotte just use his first name, had just left a storage auction and was heading home.
"A minute and a half. That's how quick and you got to react with that minute, that's your life. You have a 40 big bazooka big gun pointed at you. The guy had just gone CH-CH, once you hear CH-CH, that's it," Mark said.
Mark was approached near Herman Avenue and May Street.
"Around 11 a.m. my wife texted me, called me I did not answer. I figured I'd pull over on the side of the street and call her back," Mark said.
Suddenly the front and back passenger doors swung open and two people jumped in, one armed with a gun. They told him to drive, he hit the gas, thought about intentionally crashing but instead jumped out.
"Because I looked into that barrel and then I said Hasta la vista," Mark explained.
Mark has two badly skinned knees, a skinned arm, a swollen hand along with bumps and bruises from rolling on the concrete.
"I ran to the nearest house. The lady did open her door, gave me her cell phone. I called the police, they kept on running," Mark said.
Mark had several thousand dollars in cash in his pocket but the robbers only made off with the $16 in change he had from buying coffee that morning.
"They not getting my money. I work hard for my money. I work hard," Mark said.
He said the whole ordeal lasted two minutes but in a flash he thought of what was most important.
"Well family comes number one. Family, my daughter, everything goes before your eyes. You just want to get out of there alive," Mark said.
He issued this warning to drivers who find themselves pulling over.
"There's got to be people around you. Be aware of your surroundings," Mark said.
And this word of advise to the suspects.
"I want these guys to go to work and turn themselves in. Sooner or later they're gonna get caught. You can rob one hundred times and first they gonna get you," Mark said.